In general, 5-HT4 receptor agonists are found to be useful for the treatment of a variety of diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastrointestinal disease, gastric motility disorder, non-ulcer dyspepsia, functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), constipation, dyspepsia, esophagitis, gastroesophageral disease, nausea, central nervous system disease, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive disorder, emesis, migraine, neurological disease, pain, cardiovascular disorders such as cardiac failure and heart arrhythmia, and apnea syndrome (See TiPs, 1992, 13, 141; Ford A. P. D. W. et al., Med. Res. Rev., 1993, 13, 633; Gullikson G. W. et al., Drug Dev. Res., 1992, 26, 405; Richard M. Eglen et al., TiPS, 1995, 16, 391; Bockaert J. Et al., CNS Drugs, 1, 6; Romanelli M. N. et al., Arzheim Forsch./Drug Res., 1993, 43, 913; Kaumann A. et al., Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's. 1991, 344, 150; and Romanelli M. N. et al., Arzheim Forsch./Drug Res., 1993, 43, 913). Also, Mosapride is known to be useful for the treatment of diabetes. Further, Cisapride is known to be useful for the treatment of postoperative bowel motility (Tommy A. Brown et al., The American J. of Surgery, 177, p 399 (1999).
A variety of quinolonecarboxylic compounds as 5-HT4 receptor agonists are disclosed by Taisho Co. Among them, a compound represented by the following formula is especially disclosed, which was selected as a preclinical compound TS-951 in Japanese Kokai Publication H09-194374:
